Facing B.C.'s Power Shortage

Friday, January 13, 2006 09:15 AM

“Natural Resources, the feed stock for B.C.’s future”. With those words, Harvey Campbell, Director of the Independent Power Association started his address to the BC Natural Resources Forum.

There is a need for more power, as BC currently imports about 15% of its power needs and that percentage increases when there is a dry year, and as Campbell points out, this province is so resource rich, it should be exporting power, not importing it.

There are about 20 independent power projects in this region including, a $210 million dollar biomass cogeneration plant in Mackenzie, which will provide “green power” to BC Hydro and steam power to Pope and Talbot mill.

Wind projects are not as popular in B.C. but there are three projects, Peace River, Queen Charlottes and Northern Vancouver Island. Campbell says his discussions indicate that when it comes to developing power through wind, the very best place in B.C. is the Peace River Region, he estimates the three wind projects being explored in that area are worth about half a billion dollars.

There are some small hydro projects including the Herrick and the McGregor Rivers.

There are three energy recovery units in the area which use waste heat coming off compressors and recycling that to create power. Units are small “they could fit on a table” says Campbell, and only take about a month to set up..

Benefits for the central interior include direct emission reductions, and over a billion dollars worth of investment in the next two to three years just in this region.

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